Where do you buy bone nuts and saddles

Lapyang

Lapyang

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 2, 2017
Messages
1,803
Reaction score
130
Location
West Virginia, USA
I would like to learn to set up ukuleles myself. I am getting some basic tools from Stew Mac. But I am having trouble finding bone nuts and saddles. I don't have faith in the ones listed on Amazon and eBay, not sure if they are really bone. Where do our fellow UU members get their bone nuts and saddles?
 
I've purchased bone blanks from David Warther Guitar Parts and More. I'll buy a 4.2" guitar saddle and get 2 ukulele saddles.

John
 
I've bought them on AliExpress and eBay from China, they've always been real and work perfectly fine.

8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. http://www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
Last edited:
Though I haven't purchased any saddles or nuts for ukulele yet, I always get my guitar bone parts from Bob Colosi:

http://www.guitarsaddles.com

I would think if you gave him the specs you needed he might make them for you. He has nice material and does great craftsmanship.
 
70sSanO said:
I've purchased bone blanks from David Warther Guitar Parts and More. I'll buy a 4.2" guitar saddle and get 2 ukulele saddles.

John
Click to expand...

Thanks. I checked out the site. It actually carries a lot of other interesting stuffs, like bone shims. What did you use to split the bone saddle in half? Any particular saw or knife?
 
kohanmike said:
I've bought them on AliExpress and eBay from China, they've always been real and work perfectly fine.

8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. http://.www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
Click to expand...

I also ordered some from eBay last week and the wait is about 2weeks. But it is good to know they are real bones. Thank you.
 
I've got bone nuts and saddles from ebay/china.
It takes a long time to get here but they are bone for sure, and most sellers on ebay jealously guard their rating.
They are priced right too.
 
Most of the bone , if not all , available for nuts and saddles has been bleached .I don't like the the color and some are made brittle by the blech . I prefer to make my own, using bone bought from pet shops . I cut out a block, using a shaw , and work the block with a rasp and glass paper Unfortunately it is unpleasant stuff to work with , I would recommend wearing a mask .
 
Last edited:
I’ve gotten some bone nut and saddle blanks from eBay and StewMac. They worked well, but the sanding smell of the bone reminds me of unpleasant trips to the dentist to drill & fill a tooth.
 
bsfloyd said:
Though I haven't purchased any saddles or nuts for ukulele yet, I always get my guitar bone parts from Bob Colosi:

http://www.guitarsaddles.com

I would think if you gave him the specs you needed he might make them for you. He has nice material and does great craftsmanship.
Click to expand...

A thumbs up for Bob Colosi. I’ve purchased strap buttons, strap pins and bridge pins from him. Great craftsmanship. If you send him your existing nut and saddle he will reproduce them in a variety of materials.
 
Give some thought to alternate materials too... I've used Tusq on some ukes, and experimented with brass and glass, too.
 
Just want to add that apart from four or five bought nut and saddle blanks, I've also made two or three out of a bone - you know, the part you through in the trash after eating meat. It's a lot of cleaning, a lot of sawing, a lot of shaping, probably not worth the effort if you consider the low price of bought blanks, but it can be kind of rewarding to know you made it from freely available stuff. Porc, sheep and cow bone all work - poultry is a no go. Sawing or sanding animal bone gives a stinky smell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
Where to Buy a Ukulele when Visiting HI
Replies
8
Views
539
Tin Ear
Tin Ear
mikelz777
Where did you buy your uke(s)?
3 4 5
Replies
99
Views
4K
Freya Vie
Freya Vie
O
Where to buy an 8-string ukulele nut?
Replies
11
Views
628
ukulelekarcsi
U
Lillymo
Where to buy a ukulele in Atlanta GA?
2
Replies
35
Views
1K
Shaw
Shaw
S
Where can I buy a Martin style slotted bridge for soprano?
Replies
8
Views
550
Spaghetti
S
Top Bottom